In all seriousness, the southern states should have been allowed to seperate peacefully. By conquering the southern states by killing hundreds of thousands of people and crushing all dissent just to maintain control of their resources rather than by allowing states who didnt want to be part of the union anymore seperate in peace, the Federal government basically became the very same tyrannical, physically and culturally remote ruling power that the original founding fathers fought to replace.

The same basic issues that led to the civil war never went away...and since they were kept under Union control at gunpoint, the same problems are again manifesting themselves.

The Federal government needs to have a serious overhaul and downsizing back to the original design laid out by the constitution, for the United States to work smoothly again. But since there is no way the Federal gov will give up any of its powerback to the states, there is only one solution really.

It's interesting that you see the south as somehow being the champions of the rights of individuals

Most of the north had only recently abolished slavery themselves. They had a constant stream of poor Europeans that were worked harder than slaves and in worse conditions. As far as the Civil War goes slavery is a small factor.

I am certain that federal assistance does not just entail welfare benefits and/or foodstamps/EBT/SNAP. Is Medicaid/Medicare, Veterans' benefits, Social Security, and Federal employment pensions not also part of the equation as well? What of federally-funded infrastructure improvements, such as bridges and highways? If you were to account for the amount of people in the US that receive some form of government subsidy, then yes, the overwhelming majority of Americans receive.

While I understand to a certain extent the vitriol hurdled towards welfare recipients, why is there not the same attitudes to a lesser extent extended towards those that receive Medicae/Medicaid and Social Security? It has been proven that the overwhelming majority of those that receive those benefits do not pay into those programs equivalent to what they get out of them.

Statistics can be bent to serve any purpose.

As far as a civil war goes, it will not happen. Americans simply do not have the will to engage in armed conflict in their own homeland unless pushed to the absolute brink(and we are not......not even close). If such a thing were to actually occur, sorry, but your hunting rifle and pump-action shotgun that you take into the woods with you are no match for Predator Drones, satellite imagery, and Apache Attack Helicopters.

While I understand to a certain extent the vitriol hurdled towards welfare recipients, why is there not the same attitudes to a lesser extent extended towards those that receive Medicae/Medicaid and Social Security? It has been proven that the overwhelming majority of those that receive those benefits do not pay into those programs equivalent to what they get out of them.

Statistics can be bent to serve any purpose.

The distinction is matter of ability, choice and personal responsibility. A young woman on public assistance who continues to have children she can't afford is making a choice to do so. She is most likely in good physical health with the ability to work and birth control is readily available to prevent pregnancy.

Seniors on the other hand have many more natural obstacles. For one, they suffer from more physical ailments that limit their ability to find work. With increased ailments comes greater healthcare costs. The job market is also extremely hostile toward older workers. Employers usually prefer younger workers.

And where do you put the certifiably insane Nazi wannabes? You know the type? They hate liberals, they hate intellectuals, they hate unions, they hate gays, they hate foreigners and they pretty much hate whatever they are told to hate.

Many of the communist blood feuds specifically targeted people who appeared to be intellectual(wearing glasses, publications critical of xyz, etc.). Rewriting/destroying books is another sign which happens here in Germany/Austria - they're changing children's book which contain words deemed as "hateful".Hitler, who was a chief collectivist/socialist, burned books, regulated art and of course punished successful businesses(mostly jewish ones of course).

I thought Obama looked good too, but I learned my lesson (along with so many others).

YOU CANNOT VOTE FOR LIBERALS/LEFTISTS/PROGRESSIVES/DEMOCRATS EVER, not at any level.

Well that's a well-reasoned, articulated opinion.

IF the US relied on your outlook for politics hitherto, we'd still have the 'every man for himself' slavery cesspool in the south. Every person, like today's modern right winger, too cowardly or corrupt to become engaged in the society around themselves in any meaningful way.

And this is exactly why we need a very strong progressive, far left, socialist segment to our society: the bleeding heart of christ will wither and die if left to the infantile, selfish, slavers that put property over the value of people.

Many of the communist blood feuds specifically targeted people who appeared to be intellectual(wearing glasses, publications critical of xyz, etc.). Rewriting/destroying books is another sign which happens here in Germany/Austria - they're changing children's book which contain words deemed as "hateful".Hitler, who was a chief collectivist/socialist, burned books, regulated art and of course punished successful businesses(mostly jewish ones of course).

you don't have to post it if you're busyIt doesn't really matter to me and the hypothetical premise we're talking aboutIf Southern States were to secede then the entire state would lose the net federal dollars they are receiving and their residents would now be on their dime and not living on the excess of taxes paid by blue states

I'm sure it would be Shangri La for people like Jonhn Matrix. He can then move to the Southern States of America (assuming he doesn't already live there) and help support his fellow citizens or enjoy the consequences of a low income population who is no longer receiving any federal assistance

Actually Strawwoman, texas does not need 'federal dollars'. 'Federal dollars' are just dollars that are taken from the people of every state. Texas is doing better economically than any of the blue states, and would be doing even better in a lot of other ways if they weren't forced to submit to the federal gov's authority on everything.